(Providence, RI . February 12, 2011) This year, Thames & Kosmos celebrates its tenth anniversary with the addition of seven new kits and four updated editions to their award-winning line of educational science kits. New items include a kit for performing your own science show, an introductory electronics kit, and the next wave of popular Little Labs and Ignition Series kits. Also featured are several redesigned editions of the flagship CHEM series chemistry kits, and a more contemporary version of the best-selling Power House. The entire 2011 line will be presented at this year' American International Toy Fair Booth #2765, February 13th-16th in New York City.

Since 2001, Thames & Kosmos has connected millions of inquisitive minds to the processes of hands-on experimentation with over 60 kits in broad range of categories including chemistry, physics, biology, environmental science, and electronics.

Before computers, smart phones, and video games, kids encountered hands-on learning opportunities in their everyday activities: fixing a tractor, building a stone wall, planting a garden,. says Ted McGuire, President of Thames & Kosmos. \But as our lives become more ingrained in a digital world, we have to be deliberate about teaching kids how things work . we have to put learning back into their hands..
The company's commitment to advancing informal science education through high-quality materials, content-rich manuals, and participatory learning experiences has earned the highest recognition from the most reputable organizations in the specialty toy industry.

WHAT'S NEW IN 2011

Spectacular Science combines science and entertainment with 25 experiments specifically designed to create exciting and engaging performances. This chemistry kit provides all the lab equipment and chemicals needed to produce your own science show, including a 64-page comic book-style manual that offers clear explanations of the scientific processes at work, and special cue cards that help you execute your lines like a professional. Whether youfre moving particles with your magic wand, creating a dazzling array of colored flames through chemical reactions, or sparking fireworks from an orange, this kit is sure to amaze.and educate.audiences of all ages! (Ages 12+; SRP $89.95; adult supervision required).

Circuits are a snap with Electronics: Learning Circuits, a new introductory electronics kit that explores the fundamental principles of electricity. The innovative snap-together blocks allow children to safely test and assemble functional circuits for fun building projects including a police siren and alarm system. The blocksf bright colors and unique shapes make it easy to follow the diagrams, and because the circuit symbols are printed directly onto the pieces, kids can quickly become familiar with how to read circuit diagrams. With over 70 experiments and a 64-page, full-color manual that guides students through how each electronic device works, this is more than your average hobby kit.it' a must-have for the aspiring scientist! (Ages 8+; SRP $39.95).

LITTLE LABS

The popular Little Labs series grows its line with two new topics:

With The Human Body, you can learn a lot about the inside of your body by using the five senses on the outside of your body. Monitor your heartbeat to learn how it pumps blood, or listen to your gurgling tummy and learn about how your stomach digests food. Take a tickle test to learn about your skin and sensory receptors, or try some balancing exercises to explore your muscles, bones, and even your ears! With 25 interactive experiments, clear step-by-step instructions, and colorful illustrations, investigating the invisible inner-workings of our internal organs, skeleton, muscles, and circulatory system is tangible and fun!

Budding botanists will love getting their hands dirty with Botany: Experimental Greenhouse, a unique biological science kit that introduces the fundamentals of plants and growing. Discover the world of plants and seeds by conducting 30 experiments in a specially designed botanical laboratory complete with three domed greenhouses, thermometers, and ventilation. Construct an automatic watering system to keep your plants from getting too thirsty while you observe how roots work to transport nutrients, learn why water, light, and heat are so important to the growing process, and watch an ordinary bean burst through a plaster casing!

Both Little Labs kits include 48-page full-color manuals that rely heavily on illustrations and have just enough text to reinforce vocabulary and aid in language learning. They are developed for ages 5 and up and retail for $36.95.

IGNITION SERIES

The Ignition Series continues to spark a lifelong love of science with three new kits:

Dinosaur Fossils connects the past and the present in three easy steps. First learn how fossils form by casting your dinosaur bones in a layer of plaster. Then, become a paleontologist as you carefully excavate the bones using real-life tools and techniques. Finally, assemble the bones to complete the skeleton of a terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Become a science sleuth in Forensic Fingerprint Lab as you practice the art of fingerprint detection and collection. Gather fingerprints by dusting them with black power and lifting them with clear stickers. Design a fingerprint file card and take prints from your friends and family. Learn how the FBI classifies fingerprints, and why they are such solid evidence in criminal investigations. Once you have mastered fingerprinting techniques, put your skills to the test by matching prints in a detective game.
2011 is the International Year of Chemistry and scientists, educators, and students around the world are uniting to conduct the largest experiment ever with Global Water Quality, a clean water chemistry lab that examines our most precious natural resource. This kit offers all the tools you need to conduct pH and carbon dioxide analyses, build a water filter tower, and explore water purification by evaporation. Once the data has been collected, students can report their findings on an online map, allowing them to compare results and connect with other students around the world.

All Ignition Series kits are for ages 8 and up and have suggested retail prices of $13.95.

NEW EDITIONS TO OLD FAVORITES

Also in honor of the International Year of Chemistry, Thames & Kosmos has completely redesigned and re-launched its best-selling CHEM C1000, C2000, and C3000 kits. Each kit features all your favorite chemistry experiments, plus nearly twice the amount of new content, illustrations, and photos.

CHEM C1000 offers the essential introduction to chemistry with 75 diverse experiments in a broad range of chemical phenomena. Using the professional-grade chemicals and lab equipment included in the kit, young scientists ages 10 and up create invisible inks to investigate the physical properties of fluids and chromatography (the separation of mixtures), dissolve metals with electro-chemical reactions, split water into hydrogen and oxygen with electrolysis, and experiment with soaps, detergents, and other common household items. The 80-page full color manual guides aspiring young chemists with clear instructions for preparing and performing the experiments, safety advice and explanations of the scientific principles at work, and asks and answers questions about the results. *NEW LOW PRICE* (Ages 10+; SRP $59.95)

Discover the fascinating reactions behind ordinary occurrences with CHEM C2000, an intermediate level chemistry kit for ages 11 and up. CHEM C2000 includes everything in CHEM C1000 plus twice the amount chemicals and materials, and more than three times the experiments. Most notably, this kit introduces an alcohol burner for experiments that require heat, which greatly expands the number of experiments you can conduct. The 128-page full color manual navigates students through the most important chemistry topics . including combustion, electro-chemical reactions, elements, compounds, and proteins . cultivating a solid foundation for later study. *NEW LOW PRICE* (Ages 11+; SRP $149.95)
CHEM C3000 is the ultimate chemistry set, which includes all of the components from CHEM C2000, plus dozens of additional tools and chemicals, and over 350 experiements. The 192-page full color manual is written at a more advanced level; you could call it a textbook, but it' too much fun to make that comparison! CHEM C3000 has a similar hands-on teaching approach as the other CHEM kits, but delves into more advanced topics critical to the continued study of chemistry, including chemical equations, atomic structure, and the periodic table, making it an excellent preparation for high-school level chemistry. (Ages 12+; SRP $249.95).

Power House provides a comprehensive overview of the many forms of alternative energy. Learn about energy-efficient construction materials and passive house design, as you build the model house, then investigate environmental and energy conservation issues with 100 fun experiments. Work in and around your house to transform sunlight into energy with a solar collector and photovoltaic solar panel, harness energy from the wind with your wind turbine, and learn about energy conversation tricks plants use in your greenhouse. The 64-page full-color manual has been completely rewritten to reflect the most current technological advances made over the past decade and provides instruction on the construction process, scientific explanations of each experiment, and energy-saving tips you can use every day for a more sustainable future. (Ages 10+; SRP $99.95)

Purchase and Contact
Look for these new science kits in stores this spring and summer. Thames & Kosmos kits can be found at specialty toy, hobby, gift, and museum stores, as well as through educational and home-school suppliers, toy and gift catalogs, and online stores. For a complete list of retailers, visit www.thamesandkosmos.com. All Thames & Kosmos kits comply with all U.S. standards for toy safety, including new regulations recently imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Parents are encouraged to enjoy the products and overall experience alongside their children. For more information about any of the award-winning kits contact Kim Hammann at kim@thamesandkosmos.com.

About Thames & Kosmos
Thames & Kosmos, a privately held company headquartered in Providence, RI, was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving informal science education by creating high-quality science and technology-related educational products for children. Thames & Kosmos places an emphasis on teaching science that is relevant to the important issues in the world today through hands-on experimentation. Topics covered in Thames & Kosmos’ line of over 60 kits include alternative energy, chemistry, biology, physics, electronics, natural history, and earth science. For more information, visit www.thamesandkosmos.com.